


in secret places we don't fight fair

by hourglassmermaid



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, BAMF Alec Lightwood, BAMF Magnus Bane, Background Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood, DC Comics References, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Lightwood Siblings, M/M, Minor Violence, POV Multiple, Protective Alec Lightwood, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 13:48:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17868422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hourglassmermaid/pseuds/hourglassmermaid
Summary: On nights like tonight where the mission goes sour and Alec can’t keep his mouth shut, he isn’t so sure. These nights almost make him wish that he wasn’t a hero. But then he looks down at his bloodied knuckles and his broken arm, he looks at Izzy, his mom, this stranger. This is a job he wouldn’t wish on anyone else — couldn’t trust with anyone else.So he patches his bruises and fights through the pain, so someone else doesn’t have to — so someone else can stay safe.Alec spends his nights with a bow strapped to his back, vaulting across rooftops and fighting crime as the vigilante Kevlar. It’s a lonely sort of existence at times, but Alec likes knowing that the people of New York are safe because of him. What starts out as an investigation into a crime ring, uncovers a lifetime of secrets when Alec meets a man with sparking fingertips and the most gorgeous smile he’s ever seen.It starts with a sting and ends with a prayer.





	in secret places we don't fight fair

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! Here's my contribution for the [3B Countdown Calendar](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/3B_Countdown)! Kind of a DC Comics fusion were Izzy is essentially Oracle, Magnus is essentially Halo, and Alec is a mishmash of characters since I'm back on my superhero bullshit lmao
> 
> If you like this fic, make sure to check out all of the amazing fics in the collection while you wait for the new episodes!!!
> 
> Thanks so much to [Cave_Bob_Sponge_Man](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cave_Bob_Sponge_Man) for the beta!
> 
> Fic title comes from [The Take Over, The Breaks Over](https://open.spotify.com/track/4zCfMDdf5QXPKEqxdinXvB) and chapter title comes from [Centuries](https://open.spotify.com/track/04aAxqtGp5pv12UXAg4pkq) both by Fall Out Boy

  
**some legends are told**  
**some turn to dust or to gold**  
**but you will remember me**  


  


  
It starts when Alec goes to investigate a tip about a weapons smuggling ring downtown. The night air is crisp with anticipation and adrenaline. Alec feels it whip against his face as he leaps from rooftop to rooftop, watching the cars below fade into a symphony of bright lights, screeching tires, and honking horns. Alec’s always loved the city from the rooftops.

Alec sprints towards the building’s ledge and flies out into the Manhattan night. His quiver rattles against the thick fabric of his super suit, and Alec hopes he doesn’t lose any arrows in the freefall. He dismounts onto the building below, dusting himself off as he springs up from a crouch.

“I’m in position,” Alec whispers.

He hears Izzy’s rushed typing through his earpiece. “Gaining visual on your location. Alright...” She clicks her tongue as she waits for her computer to load. Her current model’s really outdated. Maybe Alec will buy her new one for Christmas. “There should be grate next to the air vent. If you go through the grate, you should drop down into an old storage room.”

“Perfect.”

Alec reaches into his quiver and rifles around for one of his _special arrows_ , thankful they didn’t fall out during his acrobatics routine. He notches one into his bow, pulls the string taut, aims for the grate, and fires. He takes cover behind a heating unit, plugging his ears and counting down in his head. _3..2..1…_ The grate explodes in a fiery storm of shrapnel and ash.

“I was going to suggest a screwdriver,” Izzy chastises.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Alec slips down through the hole and lands on dusty linoleum. “Do I at least get points for style?”

“7.5.”

“Tough critic.”

“You hesitated on the release and didn’t aim for the weakest joints on the metal.” She pauses for a moment. “Plus it was really fucking loud, _idiota_.”

“I’m muting you now.”

Alec scans the room for potential threats or hidden traps, but all he sees are cardboard boxes and cobwebs. He walks over to a rust-stained filing cabinet tucked away in the corner against a stack of yellowing printer paper. The drawer creaks as Alec forces it open, revealing a forest of manila envelopes. Alec leafs through and plucks one at random.

He hears a _click_ as he switches his earpiece back on. “Hey, Iz, did you know that Lex Luthor won the state spelling bee when he was in sixth grade? And that…” Alec leafs through the other newspaper clippings in the folder. “…Harley Quinn published a paper on Alzheimer’s in _The New England Journal of Medicine_?”

“Put that away. You’re wasting time.” Her perfectly manicured nails _clack_ against her keyboard. “The guards should be changing shifts in two minutes.”

“So, you don’t want to know more about Vandal Savage’s prize winning tomatoes?”

“Just get into position.”

Alec presses his ear to the door, listening for the sound of footsteps crescendoing up the hall. The new guards exchange a few words with the guys they’re relieving about how they’re all going to kick ass at the company softball tournament this weekend. Alec hopes he isn’t about to ruin their plans for redemption.

When he’s confident that the previous shift have headed home, he drives the heel of his boot into the door. It almost swings off its hinges from the force of the kick, colliding with the wall with a thunderous bang that’s sure to alert the guards.

Alec fires an arrow out into the hall, and the guards come running, shouting out profanities Alec hopes they don’t use in front of their mothers. As soon as they reach the open door, Alec’s arrow explodes into a silent tornado of black smoke. Alec, donning his gas mask, darts out into the cloud and navigates through the hall with the sounds of their coughing like some kind of bizarre fucking bat.

When their coughing stops and the smoke settles, Alec slips off his gas mask as he kneels down to check on the two guards. Out cold, as expected. He drags their comatose bodies into the empty storage room and locks the door — but not before swiping an ID badge and a set of keys.

“Any notes on my form that time?” Alec asks.

Alec can practically hear Izzy’s eyes roll when she says, “Please just find the North stairwell.”

His watch screen flashes with a map of the building, and Alec uses it to navigate towards the stairwell. He follows the blinking light and takes a left at the end of the hall.

“You really have no patience for me today,” Alec whispers into his earpiece as he checks for more guards.

“You’re acting like Jace— Duck into this closet for a second; someone’s coming.”

Alec taps the key card against a scanner and slips inside the room — all the while biting his tongue at how wounded he feels being compared to their brother.

Alec backs into a wall full of rusting cleaning supplies, knocking a can of floor cleaner off the top shelf. He leans forward to catch it just before it clangs against the floor. The least thing he needs now is to alert the guards of his position, especially when this was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission. 

The whole scene reminds him of playing hide-and-seek with Izzy and Jace when they were kids. Jace always hated it, because he’d spend hours looking for Alec, only to never find him. Izzy knew that sometimes he didn’t want to be found. Alec was always the best at making himself invisible.

He hears the sound of boots pounding against linoleum and catches a glimpse of deep purple fabric swinging behind a dark figure through a crack in the blinds. _That's an interesting guard uniform,_ Alec thinks to himself. There’s some shouting and the sounds of a fight breaking loose. Alec considers investigating, but Izzy tells him to stay hidden, to remember the mission. After waiting a few tense minutes with bated breath and clammy palms, she lets him know that the coast is clear.

Izzy's building schematics are flawless, not that Alec ever had a doubt, and he's able to to sneak down to the basement level with the door Izzy highlighted on his map undetected. He has a few close encounters with guys dressed like your typical rent-a-cops and security guards, but none that resemble the hooded figure he saw from the closet.

"Looks like we have a bit of a problem." Alec taps the key card against the scanner and receives an error message about how this door has a two tiered security system. He taps the card a few more times for good measure, and the eyeball scanner taunts him more with each subsequent _Access Denied_. "Unless you can graft an eye over mine."

"Dammit," she swears under her breath. “Give me a minute to figure something else out.”

“Yeah, take your time.” He kicks at some dirt on the floor. “I’ll be here.”

“Are there any air vents or ducts that I missed?”

“No, your blueprints were, unfortunately, perfect.”

“Not perfect enough to actually get you inside.”

“Iz.” There’s a warning edge to Alec’s voice. She’s always so hard on herself, and Alec hates it because she doesn’t seem to believe how utterly brilliant she is.

“What about—” Izzy starts to ask, but she’s cut off by the sound of steel grazing against linoleum and a cacophony of shouting coming from the end of the hall.

Alec turns his head towards the commotion as a pair of thick rubber boots screech against the floor and reroute their path towards him. The same purple fabric Alec saw earlier from the closet whips behind a hidden figure that bounds towards him. Now that Alec has a better look at it, it seems that the fabric is some sort of cloak, but he doesn’t have much time to ruminate over this stranger’s fashion choices as he’s being chased by three guards. Three very angry guards. Three very angry guards with guns pointed at them.

"What did you do to piss off your supervisor?" Alec asks as he reaches for his bow.

One of the guards shoots at the man, and he leaps out of the way, tucking into a roll as he hits the ground. He skids to a stop next to Alec. Alec offers him a hand to help him to his feet, praying that the guards need a moment to reload after their last assault.

"You really think I'm working for _them_?"

The man sounds almost offended when he asks, his syrupy voice almost sticky with annoyance. Alec feels a twinge of regret twisting in his gut, but he doesn’t know why. It was only a joke. He’s told plenty of jokes that didn’t land, and none of them made him feel as unsure. Alec decides to play it off. “Sorry, bad joke.” He scratches at the back of his neck.

The man shrugs. “Fair enough. But how do I know _you’re_ not working with _them_?”

Alec traces a finger around the outline of his black face mask. “I mean…? Plus, I don’t really think they could pull off this spandex half as well.” He and Izzy worked for 16 hours straight on his super suit, and he’s very proud of the finished product, thank you very much. His mom tells him that black is slimming and the dark blue stripes look lovely with his eyes. Jace tells him he looks like a cheap Nightwing knock-off. He thinks Izzy’s just happy he isn’t running around New York naked. 

“Point taken.”

One of the guards shoots at Alec, and he dives to the floor, his bow slipping out of his hands and sliding against the recently polished floor. A swirling orange aura overtakes the stranger, like he’s sheathed in a translucent, sunset cloud, and he levitates upwards. His eyes are glowing the same orange color as the light radiating off his body, and his purple cloak flaps around him with the breeze from his ascent. Alec mouths a, ‘Wow,’ because he definitely doesn’t see this every day.

The man flies towards the guard that shot at Alec with the a speed rivaling the bullet and punches him in the face. The force of it knocks the guard airborne, and he collides against a wall, leaving a crack in the plaster when he drops to the floor like the sack of potatoes Alec peeled for last week’s family dinner.

“Alec? What the hell is going on?” Izzy’s frantic voice screams through his ear piece.

“I just hit a little bit of a snag.” He scrambles off the floor and stumbles towards where his bow drifted. “But, everything’s— Fuck—” Another one of the guards runs at him with a taser, and Alec roundhouse kicks him in the ribs. “Fine. Everything’s fine.”

“What the fuck was that?”

“I, uh, dropped my contact.”

Izzy mutters an impolite phrase in Spanish. “I’m calling Jace.”

“Don’t.” The guard gets up off the floor and takes a swing at Alec’s head. “Do.” Alec knees him in the stomach. “That.” Alec bangs his skull against the guard’s while the guard’s nursing his aching guts, knocking him out instantly. “Really, I have it under control.”

She sounds hesitant, but she relents. “If you’re not out of there in an hour I’m calling him.”

“Deal.”

He clicks off his ear piece, and then everything happens in an instant. The shot fires. Alec moves. The man falls.

“Look out!” Alec shouts. He shoves the hooded man as hard as he can, knocking him against the back wall with an ugly crash and a pained groan.

Alec takes a deep breath and steps in front of the bullet. His skin pulls taut as if it were stretched just thin enough to cover his entire form, not even a millimeter of flesh loose. He feels the familiar half-tickle, half-sting of his skin knitting together in a blanket of solid kevlar, his cells the near indestructible yarn and the adrenaline pumping through his veins the needle.

The bullet explodes against his shoulder in a blearing storm of blood and fabric and ricochets to the floor. Alec stumbles backwards as the white hot pain sears through his arm and a ringing overtakes his eardrums.

“Fuck!” No matter how many times he gets shot, it always feels like this. Just once he wishes that the steel in his veins left him numb in a fight.

He slips and falls, his head crashing with the hard linoleum and shattering his earpiece into a thousand pieces. Izzy’s going to kill him.

He hears the distinctive _click_ of the guard reloading his gun. Alec braces for another hit, but it never comes. Instead, yellow lightning pours from the hooded man’s fingers, and the guard might as well be a lightning rod for the way the bolt sizzles throughout his body. It’s beautiful and deadly and unlike any power Alec’s ever seen.

The guard seizes as if he were being shocked with a defibrillator and slumps to the ground, motionless. The man falls forward onto his knees, utterly spent. Alec hurries over to him and regrets it immediately; his aching shoulder lashes out at him for being jostled.

"Well done," Alec says. His tongue feels heavy in his mouth, and he doesn't know what to do with his hands all of a sudden.

"More like medium rare." Horror must bleed into Alec's features, because the man quickly backtracks and adds, "That guard will be fine in a couple of hours. Maybe a little sore."

“Good, good.” Alec nods. Alec doesn’t kill. He may seriously maim or break a couple bones, but he doesn’t kill. He’s relieved to find that this man seems to follow a similar code.

Alec kneels down beside the man, clutching at his wound to try and not disturb it and whispers, “You’re full of surprises.”

It’s the first time Alec gets a good look at the man’s face, and the first thing he notices is how utterly stunning he is. Flawless bronze skin pulled tight around sharp cheekbones and a strong jawline. A well-groomed goatee outlining soft lips, accented with something red and glossy. Alec knows shit about makeup, but he can tell the man is wearing some. He wonders if another one of the man’s powers involves shape-shifting, because he looks more like he just stepped off the runway than nearly died in a fight.

The most striking part of his appearance though is his golden cat eyes. Surrounded by a thin, black eye mask, his eyes shine through as bright as the lightning dripping from his fingertips, like a beacon breaking through the mist. Even though Alec has just met him, he’s fairly certain he could spend hours getting lost in those eyes.

“I have a few more.”

He gently guides Alec down to the floor, his hands sending a jolt of electricity throughout Alec’s nervous system — must be some residual lightning. He cradles Alec’s head in his lap, and for a brief moment, Alec forgets how to breathe. His heart pounds in his ears as the man’s fingers brush his scalp. “This might tickle for a minute, but just try and relax.”

A lilac vortex flows from the man’s fingers and spreads over Alec’s bleeding shoulder. It tingles as the purple smoke envelopes him. There’s a question on his lips, but the magic takes effect before he can ask, and then he understands. Slowly and then all at once he feels his skin knitting back together where the bullet cut it open, all the while the man above him whispering out soothing words and affirmations to help comfort him. But he doesn’t need them. For some reason, he trusts this man completely.

“There,” the man says, “good as new.”

Alec's fingers rub over the spot that only a minute ago housed an angry red gash, now replaced by a faint white scar. He rolls his shoulder back a few times, checking his mobility range. The man healed him so well, it's almost like he wasn't shot at all. Almost.

"Thank you."

"Of course." The man smiles above him. "Um, but we should probably..."

The realization that Alec's lying with his head in the man's lap hits him like a rock to the head. "Right, yeah." He scrambles off the floor and dusts himself off.

They drag the slightly charred guard over to the keypad and scan his eye to unlock the door. They leave him and the other guards propped up against the wall for the morning watch to find in a few hours.

Alec breathes a sigh of relief when they slip inside the room and find it deserted. His body can take a lot, but this night has left him exhausted and all he can think about is getting home to Izzy. He knows that she’s probably cursing his name, (and will most definitely be kicking his ass when she finds out about the ear piece) but Alec needs her to know that he’s safe.

Before everything went to hell, his primary mission objective was to upload Izzy’s file extractor to their main computer and download as much dirt as he can find about this weapons smuggling ring. Invoices. Serial Numbers. Contracts. Anything and everything so he and Izzy can finally take them down and end their reign of terror. 

The lab looks exactly as Izzy said it would. Cold, metal machinery lines the walls from floor to ceiling, beeps and pings ring out from a hundred different devices, a stone work bench at the center of the room houses about a dozen different prototype weapons in various stages of development. 

“Looks like we found their R&D Department,” the man notes as he takes in their surroundings. “Do you think they offer comprehensive benefits?”

Alec raises an eyebrow as he searches for the central computer. “Are you trying to change sides?” A pit forms in his stomach. Alec still doesn’t know which side this man is on, though he hopes… 

“Not at all.” The man picks up some kind of ray gun and examines it. “Just trying to figure out why anyone would work for such a sadistic organization.”

Alec exhales. “Someone who values money more than human lives.”

“Sick bastards.” The man shakes his head. 

Izzy and Alec have been glued to the news for weeks. Civilian bombings. Ruined hospitals. Displaced families. All so some suits can keep getting richer while people suffer.

Alec locates the main computer across the room. He plugs Izzy’s flash drive into the tower and uploads her encryption software. As soon as he’s in, he gets to work uploading her special extraction program to take what they need. 

“This computer should have enough information for us to take down their whole operation tonight,” Alec says as he works. A window pops up that tells him the program should take about half an hour to download everything. Hopefully they don’t run into any more friends during that time.

“Looks like I picked a good night to investigate,” the man says as he strolls up beside Alec. “But I feel bad that you’re doing all the work. Anything I can do to help?”

“Keep me company,” Alec blurts out. He doesn’t know why says it, doesn’t know why he wants this man here, but Alec’s drawn to him in a way that he can’t explain. 

The man smiles a soft smile like candlelight on a winter’s night. “Of course.”

He slides down to the floor, his back pressed to one of the many machines. “Durability is a pretty useful power.”

“Your light thing is pretty impressive too.” 

“What’s your origin story?” Alec opens his mouth to speak, but the man plows ahead. “Wait, don’t tell me. Hmm...” He scratches at his goatee with his thumb. “I don’t think you’re an alien — unless you’ve mastered some sort of shape-shifting ability. Oh, are you a Martian by chance? I’ve been with Martians before. Actually, it was the _same_ Martian, but he shape-shifted, so I wouldn’t—” 

The room is dimly lit, so Alec can’t tell for sure, but he thinks he sees the hint of a blush wash over the man’s cheeks. “Sorry, that was probably a bit too much.”

Alec laughs. “Don’t worry about it, but I’m not an alien. Unless my parents are keeping a huge secret from me.”

The man motions towards the torn fabric of Alec’s suit, revealing the raw flesh he just healed. “You did take a bullet for me, which of course I appreciate, but you don’t seem to be quite as bullet proof as Superman.”

Alec gives him an incredulous look. “I’m sorry that my skin can still get nicked. Also, getting shot hurts like a bitch, so you’re welcome.”

The man rolls his eyes and mutters out an unconvincing, “My hero.”

Alec chooses to ignore his sarcasm and takes a seat beside him. “But you still need to guess.”

“Do any of your family members have powers?”

Alec’s eyes drift away from the man’s face as he scratches at his stubble. His hand twitches, and he reaches for his utility belt to find something to occupy his hands. “Not that I know of. My little sister’s great with computers, but I think that has more to do with her being super smart than anything else.”

“Was she the one talking in your ear earlier?”

 _Shit_. Alec can’t let his guard down like this, especially not when Izzy’s involved. His number one priority above everything else is keeping her safe. But this man is so easy to talk to, and Alec finds himself wanting to tell him everything. Alec needs to put up his guard, because he might also be a telepath.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to pry. I promise that your secret’s safe with me.”

“I can’t let anything happen to her.”

The man inches closer to Alec. “Then she’s lucky to have _you_ protecting her.”

On nights like tonight where the mission goes sour and Alec can’t keep his mouth shut, he isn’t so sure. These nights almost make him wish that he wasn’t a hero. But then he looks down at his bloodied knuckles and his broken arm, he looks at Izzy, his mom, this stranger. This is a job he wouldn’t wish on anyone else — couldn’t trust with anyone else.

So he patches his bruises and fights through the pain, so someone else doesn’t have to — so someone else can stay safe 

The man points at the bow and quiver strapped to Alec’s back. “I thought you were a durable. What’s with the bow?”

“Oh, this? I mean even telepaths keep a gun in their back pockets.” Alec reaches into his quiver and plucks out an arrow. He slots it into his bow and pulls back. Without looking, he lets the arrow fly. It whistles through the air until it collides with the metal support beam above their heads — at the precise junction where two beams meet. “Plus, I’m a really good shot.”

“Duly noted. Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

Alec chuckles to himself. He knows that he’s showing off, that he should be more humble about his abilities. Always better to keep your talents to yourself and only show your hand when the time is right. That’s how you survive out here in the trenches (and in corporate America). But there’s something about this man that makes Alec want to impress him.

“I’ll be sure to remind you… What did you say your name was again?”

The edge of his lips curl up into a smile. “What do you think my name is?”

Alec sits back on his heels so he can get a better look at the man. “You really want me to guess?”

“It’s my favorite game.”

“I thought your favorite game was figuring out origins.”

“I like that you’re paying attention, darling.”

Alec smirks and rests his head against the cold metal, looking up towards the ceiling as he thinks about his answer. “I don’t know, Laser Beam?”

The man looks affronted, and Alec can’t help but laugh at the way his glossy lips protrude in a pout.

“Do I seem like the kind of person who would go by something as _trivial_ as ‘Laser Beam?’”

“No.” Alec takes a breath, trying to settle down from his laughing spell. “But I just wanted to see how you’d react.”

Alec flashes him a winning smile, hoping the man isn’t seriously offended, but he just turns away from Alec and folds his arms across his chest. Alec’s heart starts to beat as if he were going for a run. He prays the man isn’t mad at him but simultaneously wonders why he cares so much about this stranger’s feelings.

“You’re horrible,” the man says with mock annoyance.

Tension bleeds from Alec’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. Can I make another guess?”

“Only if you promise to take it seriously this time.”

“I promise.” Alec holds up his right hand as if he were being sworn in during a trial. “Hmm, well you have your whole light thing going on.” Alec waves his hands erratically, wiggling his fingers through the air. “Aurora?”

“Like the _Disney_ princess?”

“Who?” Alec cocks his head to the side. “I was thinking like the Northern Lights. _Aurora Borealis_. Am I that far off?”

“No, you were actually pretty close.” The man holds out his hand for Alec to shake. Alec takes it and feels a bolt of electricity sizzle up his veins. Startled, he locks eyes with the man and for a brief moment, loses himself in a sea of golden warmth. “I’m Borealis. Thanks for saving my life earlier.”

“Kevlar,” Alec says, gripping Borealis’ hand a little harder. “And, uh, don’t mention it. Thanks again for healing me.”

“It was a pleasure.” Borealis looks down at their interlocked hands and smiles to himself as Alec absentmindedly shakes them up and down, still stunned from the depth of Borealis’ gaze. Alec, realizing that he’s still shaking Borealis’ hand like an idiot, quickly pulls back his own hand and looks away, embarrassed.

The computer pings, indicating that the download is complete, and Alec thanks Whoever for giving him an out. He retracts Izzy's flash drive and tucks it into his utility belt. If nothing else, at least he's able to get her this; she's convinced that these files should be enough to take down the syndicate, and she's never been wrong before. 

“Heading out?” Borealis asks.

“I got what I came for.” Alec taps his belt. 

“Well, see you around, Kevlar.” God, Alec hopes he does.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Please let me know in the comments below :) 
> 
> You can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/izzylightbane) and [tumblr](http://hourglassmermaid.tumblr.com/) for more mutterings about sh and superheros!


End file.
